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Infected Ashley Piercing: What Does It Look Like and How to Treat It?
An Ashley piercing is a single piercing in the center of your bottom lip. It’s a unique type of piercing that can be a fun way to express yourself. However, it does pose risks, including infection. Learn how to identify, treat, and help prevent an Ashley piercing infection.
What Does an Infected Ashley Piercing Look Like?
If you have or plan to get an Ashely piercing, it’s crucial to know what an infection looks and feels like. This will help ensure you seek treatment as soon as possible, helping prevent further complications. Signs of an infected Ashley piercing include:
- Redness and swelling
- Very warm to the touch
- Fever
- Discharge or bleeding
- Unusual pain and discomfort
- A bump at the back or front of the piercing
Some symptoms after getting the piercing or normal. For example, it’s common to experience soreness, redness, and a little swelling. But these symptoms should lessen over time and should be minimal. Contact your piercer and a health professional as soon as possible when signs of infection emerge.
Do Ashley Piercings Get Infected Easily?
Yes, Ashley piercings can get infected easily. This is because they are a type of lip piercing and are susceptible to more bacteria and other contaminants from eating, drinking, kissing, wearing makeup, and more.
Plus, your mouth is usually a warm, wet area that holds germs. It’s also an area that moves a lot as you eat, drink, talk, and practice oral hygiene like brushing your teeth and flossing.
How Do Ashley Piercings Get Infected?
Ashley piercings can get infected because of:
- Unclean piercing tools
- Poor aftercare
- Contact with chemicals or contaminants
- Frequent touching
- Germs and bacteria in your mouth
- Changing the jewelry too quickly
- Lowered immune system
Be sure to go to an experienced, licensed piercer who uses a clean, sanitary space and tools. This will help prevent infection, along with following their aftercare instructions.
Image: Ico Piercing.
How to Treat an Infected Ashley Piercing?
Once you identify that your lip piercing is infected, contact your piercer and a health professional. They’ll typically give you the following directions for treatment:
- Avoid touching your jewelry, especially with unwashed hands.
- Don’t use your tongue to play with the jewelry.
- If you can, avoid taking out the jewelry as it can trap bacteria, cause the infection to spread, and worsen scarring.
- Clean the piercing at least 2-3 times a day with a saline solution.
- Gently apply a clean cold compress to the area.
- Be extra cautious to avoid contact with perfumes, makeup, and chemicals.
- Adjust your diet to only soft foods that aren’t spicy or acidic and that don’t contain alcohol. Good options include yogurt, applesauce, oatmeal, and other substances that won’t get caught in the piercing or cause extra irritation.
- Use fever reducers or antibiotics as suggested or subscribed by your doctor.
- Monitor for signs of improvement and seek help as soon as possible if symptoms begin to worsen.
Be sure to tell your piercer and doctor what medications you’re taking. Some medications can slow your immune response and challenge the healing process. Your doctor may proactively prescribe you antibiotics or adjust your medications.
How to Clean an Infected Ashley Piercing?
Clean your infected Ashley piercing with a saline solution. It is recommended to use sterile saline that you buy from the store, rather than homemade saline, for cleaning your piercings. Homemade saline may be too salty for delicate piercing sites, leading to dryness and delayed healing.
Using mild, fragrance-free soap and water to clean your piercing site is also an option.
If you prefer homemade salt solution. You can start by mixing 1/2 teaspoon of non-iodized salt with one cup of distilled or boiled (for at least 20 minutes) water. You may choose to use less of the salt mixture like 1/4 to 1/8 teaspoon if you want a weaker solution that’s less likely to burn or sting. Stir the solution until it dissolves.
If you see signs of infection, you can also use antiseptic solutions, such as betadine, isopropyl alcohol, or diluted hydrogen peroxide. However, avoid using them for daily cleaning as they can damage cells.
Then proceed with the following steps to clean an infected lip piercing:
- Soak a cotton ball, a paper towel or non-plush cloth with the solution. Avoid fabrics that could snag and pull the jewelry or leave fibers behind. Gently saturate the piercing and cleanse it. Don't remove the jewelry!
- If you have a sterile saline wound wash that you buy from stores, then spay it while healing.
- Ensure you cleanse the piercing of any discharge or crusty material.
- Take clean gauze or cotton swabs and pat the area dry.
- Never scrub, poke, prod, or scrape at the piercing.
- Avoid eating, drinking, or applying makeup around the piercing directly after cleaning.
- Be sure to repeat this process at least 2-3 times a day or as advised by your piercer.
Your piercer should give you detailed instructions on keeping your piercing clean once the piercing has been placed.
How to Prevent Ashley Piercing Infections?
If you want to prevent an Ashley piercing infection, consider the following tips that could help:
- Go to an experienced piercer that uses clean, sanitary tools.
- Choose high-quality metals suited for this type of piercing such as implant-grade titanium and 14K gold.
- Use the appropriate-sized jewelry to ensure it’s not too loose or too tight.
- Clean it properly 2-3 times a day with a saline solution.
- Limit foods and drinks that are spicy or acidic, like coffee.
- Use alcohol-free mouthwash.
- Practice good hygiene to avoid an accumulation of germs and bacteria.
Best Metals for Ashley Piercings
Ashley piercings use labret studs. This is a stud with a flat back and a screw-on accessory like a ball, spike, pearl, gemstone, or other accent. There are many different metals to choose from, all of which have their own potential pros and cons.
1. Implant-Grade Titanium Lip Jewelry
Implant-grade titanium minimalist stud $16.90, SHOP NOW.
Implant-grade titanium lip jewelry can be a great option because it’s lightweight, nickel-free, and won’t tarnish. This may help you avoid an allergic reaction and the need to frequently change out the jewelry. The biggest con of titanium is it’s more expensive.
2. 14K or 18K Solid Gold Lip Jewelry
If you know your skin is okay with gold, you might consider 14k or 18k gold lip jewelry. 18k is purer than 14k gold, but both options can be a stylish accessory. Potential cons are some people have allergic reactions to gold and gold can be less durable than stainless steel or titanium.
3. Surgical Stainless Steel Lip Jewelry
There are different types of stainless steel lip jewelry. One type is 316L stainless steel, which has trace amounts of nickel that can lead to an allergic reaction. It may also be susceptible to corrosion. However, there are many surgical-grade stainless steel options available that have corrosion-resistant properties that can work well as a face piercing.
4. Sterling Silver Lip Jewelry
925 sterling silver is popular for body jewelry and it’s generally low cost. However, sterling silver is often not recommended for new piercings because it can complicate the healing process.
Consequences of Not Taking Care of Infected Ashley Piercings
If you don’t take care of an infected Ashley piercing, you’ll likely experience pain and discomfort. You may experience a fever and other infection symptoms. The infection could also spread, threatening your health and well-being. Be sure to seek and start treatment as quickly as possible to avoid health concerns and the need to close your piercing.
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